NOTE: The members of the fact-finding committee from Arizona are as follows:

Lorenzo Allen, Black Athlete

Lorenzo Cotton, Black Student Union

Bruce Dale, LDSSA President

Bruce Eggers, Arizona Student President

Felix Goodwin, Black Administrator

Ike Williams, Black Athlete

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

TUCSON, ARIZONA 85721

ASSOCIATED STUDENTS

A REPORT:

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, BLACKS,

AND THE WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

submitted by

a fact-finding committee

dispatched to Brigham Young University

by the Associated Students of

the University of Arizona

the committee

Lorenzo Allen

Lorenzo Cotton

Bruce Dale

Bruce Eggers

Felix Goodwin

Ike Williams

October 3, 1970

A REPORT:

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, BLACKS,

AND THE WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

One of the greatest crises confronting the United States during the past decade has been the coexistence of black and white men in one society.

A corollary issue raised during that decade was over Brigham Young University, run by the Church of Jesus Christ: of Latter-day Saints. A doctrine of the church states that black men cannot hold the Priesthood in the church, as do other men. Viewed as racially discriminatory, some critics have held that this doctrinal discrimination is manifested in the church-supported instituion, BYU.

The "Y" became part of the Western Athletic Conference whent eh WAC was founded in the early sixties. The merger formalized financial ties with over a half-dozen universities. It also set the stage for later protests at individual universities not wishing to financially assist an instituional arm of the church through athletic participation.

It was over this question that a disruption broke out at a BYU-UA basketball game in Tucson, Arizona on January 8, 1970, resulting in nine felony arrests. Protests have also taken place at several other schools during athletic contests with BYU.

Feeling that rhetoric had escalated too far while reasonable approaches to the problem were decreasing, the Associated Students of the University of Arizona (ASUA) initiated plans for a "fact-finding" committee to travel to the Provo, Utah campus of BYU. The purpose was to ascertain the relationship between BYU and the Mormon Church as it relates to the Western Athletic Conference. In a visit on October 1-3, 1970, the six-member team, including four blacks, visited with several university officials and, literally, hundreds of BYU students. The following report of the committee findings are based on these exchanges in addition to specific facts relative to the issue gathered before and during the visit.

II. The Priesthood Doctrine

Mormon doctrine states that blacks of African linage [sic] may not hold the Priesthood until it is revealed to the prophet of the church. The fact-finding committee believes that black prople rightfully perceive this doctrine as a racist, discriminatory doctrine. The committte believes, however, that this doctrine of the church is beyond any student body or church membership to change. There are no other facts available which would indicate that it would take anything but a revelation from God, as the Mormon religion says, to grant the Priesthood to blacks. The suggestions that social pressure will cause revision in chruch policy will be discussed later in the report.

III. Racism at Brigham Young University

The fact-finding committee could find nothing to indicate that Brigham Young University is a racist institution or that there may be any more or less racism present than at any other school. We would conclude, however, that BYU is an "isolated" institution, whose members simply do not relate to or understand black people. A desire to relate to black members of the fact-finding team was awkwardly expresssed in almost over-compensatory fashion. Other testimony also indicated that, having been branded racists, many BYU students were almost "racist-in-reverse" through the holding of paternalistic, though sincere, attitudes towards blacks.

We believe that Brigham Young University has seriously erred in not doing more to expose its student to the culture and attributes of blacks, not as a separate entity but as an integral part of our society.

While the fact-finding team acknowledges the difficulties of changing church doctrine, we believe something can be done about the isolation of BYU. Part of the educational offerings of any university, particularly the largest private institution in the U. S., is exposure and interaction with the largest minority in the Univtest States - the black people.

Quite simply, we belive ther need to be more blacks on campus for a more balanced student body. If the "Y" wishes to combat its image of racism, a more aggressive program to being in more black athletes and scholars must be instituted. We noticed a particuarly defeatist attitude toward black recruitment on the part of two administrators to whom we spoke. The BYU Athletic Director said only four black athletes had been sought out by BYU last year. Only two blacks are in the entire BYU athletic program. Though Institutional Research department reports are not final until November, preliminary estimates say the number of blacks enrolled in the 25,000 member student body will not exceed 15, including four or five Nigerians.

One high-ranking administrator agreed "we haven't done a good job of letting people know we want blacks." Publicizing that fact is vital. There are no "racist admission policies" at BYU. Entering students must maintain certain standards in keeping with certain standards of the church, such as no smoking or use of tea, coffeee, or alcoholic beverages. There are no other standards int eh "Code of Student Conduct" which are substantially different from other universities' standards.

In addition to asserting that blacks don't want to come to BYU because of its standards, officials add that Provo has no black population and consequently little social interacdtion among black people This defense of a lackluster black recruitment program must also be discounted. Many all-white community, Mid-Western universities and colleges have increased their black enrollment. Eastern Arizona Junior College and Cochise College, both Arizona schools, are in similar all-white population areas and have done the same.

For example, BYU might publicize in advance that a black recruiting team will be in a certain area of a community to "sell" BYU, offer financial aid information, and even provide more succinct answers to the race-Priesthood issue. The University of Arizona would like to offer our assistance in helping Brigham Young University set up a recruitment program that would meet the needs of BYU and its potential black students.

High school relations with black areas of Ogden, Salt Lake City, and other Utah communities might also be a worthwhile recruiting area, rather than defeatistly saying blacks will go to Weber State or University of Utah. BYU can show its [sic] got more to offer and some financial assistance as well, which bring us to the next suggestion.

Along with recruitment must come efforts to set up a scholarship program for black students. This is because many blacks need financial assistance to have the opportunity to continue their education after high school. Such a scholarship program should be set up within university administration channels to allow for federal government sanction and maximum opportunity to receive Educational Opportunity Grants (EOG), National Defense Loan money (NDEL), and other matching funds. The BYU student body, on a broader base than a political organization as has attempted such drives before, might do well for their own image by initiating these efforts.

In concluding discussion of this area of black recruitment, the fact-finding committee believes that if there is as much love and brotherhood for blacks as was expressed during our visit, then the will and the money to carry through these progams can certainly be found. Continuing on the "isolation" problem and the racial problem, there are admittedly many other issues confroting our world that should be discussed in the academic community of Brigham Young. Student and university officials should encourage active debate by students and faculty of current social issues. Such exposure, on a broad basis, to a wide-range [sic] of viewpoints will heighten awareness to social - including racial - problems experienced outside the institution and church.

Another effort to afford BYU students a better appreciation of the black men of America would be thorugh a Black Speakers Program. There are many articulate, educadted, and well-informed blacks in our country who would be imminently [sic] qualified to speak at BYU. A few speakers we might suggest include: Clifford Alexander, former U. S. presidential adviser; Whitney Young, National Urban League; Carl Stokes, mayor of Cleveland; Dr. Samuel Proctor, Rutgers; and Julian Bond, Georgia legislator.

Another suggestion is a Brigham Young University Exchange Program, where BYU would send Mormon students for one semester's study to each school in the Western Athletic Conference. Each WAC school would also send one black student to BYU. Students at respective institutions would be brought into meaningful activities during their semester's stay and afterwards carry what they have experienced back to their original school. Maximum benefit would come to all the institutions in teh WAC, exposing BYU students to more blacks, wiht blacks and Mormons arrying their hopefully enlightened voices back to their own schools after the exchange is over.

IV. Image and Brigham Young University

Many students of sister WAC schools perceive BYU students as being bigoted toward blacks. This misconception of image should be rectified as soon as possible.

In addition to the BYU Exchange Program, better communication between BYU students adn otehr WAC students should be effected. BYU might send its own "fact-finding" committees to WAC schools for meetings with students. Perhaps an honest film of BYU efforts in the area of recruitment, anti-isolationism, campus life, etc., might accompany the travelers.

Major pronouncements on the racial question, church doctrine, and Mormon attitudes ahve only been made by high-ranking church and university officials. The students must speak of on their own and express their concern on current issues such as the race question. Silence only lends credibility to the uninformed charges of others. The students of BYU must not be sheltered from the problems and world outside of Provo, Utah. They must take a continually active part - during their college days in addition to missionary work - to peacufully speak out and take responsible, constructive action. The Associated Students officers of BYU, we believe, can offer a strong and effective channel for the student voice at Brigham Young University. The committee urges full support of the student government efforts.

V. Protest, the Western Athletic Conference, and Brigham Young University

Throughout the visit of the fact-finding committee we were reminded that God, not man, can change doctrine of the church. Proponents of activits social pressures contend that this is what changed the plural-marriage doctrine of the church in the late 1800's. But is twas only after federal laws were passed forbidding polygamy that it was revealed by God to the prophet of the church that it was better for the church to obey the law of the land. Perhaps similar legislation might someday ban any religious discrimination based on race. And perhaps God will again reveal it is best to meet compliance with laws of the land. This is what we perceive some Mormons believe. But until that happens, disruptive social pressure will not assuredly cause revelation.

Attempting to confine this report, as much as possible, to BYU, the WAC, and UA, we believe that Brigham Young University should be given an opportunity, without adverse pressures, to discuss the recommendations of this report and hopefully act upon them.

For the University of Arizona, specifically, the Athletic Director and Comptroller hav eshown that no student athletic fees are funneled to Brigham Young University. Indeed, receipts from football gate and season ticket-holders are the sources of revenue. Student seats are a return for payment of fees helping to operate the UA Athletic Department and not for BYU coffers. Consequently, it is illogical that BYU athletes be the brunt of harassment and demonstration.

It is for the aforementioned reasons that the fact-finding committeee of the University of Arizona asks for all schools of the Western Athletic Conference including the University of Arizona, to suspend further demonstrations and disruptions aimed at Brigham Young University. We wish to give BYU an opportunity to consider, act upon, or reject the recommendations of this committee in an effort to prove what they have said and what we have seen. The burden of proof for resolving the issue of BYU racism in the persceptions of many minds rests within what Brigham Young University does with the recommendations of this committtee.

VI. Concluding Remarks

The fact-finding committee of the University of Arizona has attempted to partially resolve some major questions that have confronted our university as well as several other institutions.

In this new decade of the 70's, our generaion of students must do what we can to end misunderstanding spawned from rhetoric, though that rhetoric may be sincere. We must look for better ways, creative ways to solve the complex problems before us. Fulfilling the "ways" outlined in this report will largely rest with the initiative of our fellows at Brigham Young University. It is our fervent hope that the Mormons will meet this challenge with the same determination they have so often shown in their troubled and proud past.

Submitted by:

Lorenzo Allen

Lorenzo Cotton

Bruce Dale

Bruce Eggers

Felix Goodwin

Ike Williams